Cow pie king Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat and Beryl the Peril are making the move from print to online to revive their fortunes with Britain’s iPad generation.

Once the nation’s best-loved comic with more than two million copies sold a week, sales have slumped to around 8,000 as kids choose internet downloads over ink.

The first online edition – launched to mark the much-loved comic’s 75th birthday – includes games, new ­characters and a virtual pet.

Dandy editor Craig Ferguson said of the transition: “We’re updating our product to make it relevant for today’s children.”

Ellis Watson, chief executive of DC Thompson said: "I appreciate it's almost a deliberately naive venture into the unknown for a publisher that's been cutting down trees for 75 years, squishing them flat and smearing ink all over them.

"We're not super slick, we're not Silicon Valley, but what we are is some pretty talented animators and story tellers that are really excited about seeing if we can introduce these wonderful characters to another couple of generations."

Web-bound: Desperate Dan

Mr Watson said he hoped that the comic would continue to attract adults who read The Dandy throughout their childhood, saying: "I'm still quite happy to sit on the train with my Financial Times reading my comics inside."

The first online issue will be free of charge, with following issues being priced at £1.49. A yearly subscription for the digital comic will be £29.99, while access to the website will be free.

Coinciding with the launch, the last ever printed issue also goes on sale today.

The issue features a cameo from Sir Paul McCartney, who said in 1963 it was his ambition to appear in the comic, and a pull-out of the first issue from December 4 1937.

DC Thomson said the Dandy Annual will continue to be printed and the 2013 edition is already on the shelves.

The Cartoon Museum is hosting The Dandy: 75 years of Biffs, Bangs and Banana Skins exhibition until December 24.